Overview
Synopsis
Rough-and-tumble Annie Oakley is the best shot around. A backwoods gal, Annie uses her skill to support her family by selling the game she hunts. When she’s discovered by Buffalo Bill and persuaded to join his Wild West Show, Annie is plucked from obscurity and becomes the toast of Europe. Annie meets her match in Frank Butler, Buffalo Bill’s leading man and star marksman. She falls head over heels for Frank, but soon eclipses him as the main attraction in the show. Her success with a gun makes trouble for Annie’s chance at romance. Annie Get Your Gun follows the journey of Annie and Frank, revealing their competitive natures as they vie for best shot - and each other’s hearts. This fictionalized version of the life of real-life sharpshooter Annie Oakley and her romance with Frank Butler boasts a score of Irving Berlin gems including “There’s No Business Like Show Business”, “I Got Lost in His Arms”, “I Got the Sun in the Mornin’”, “Anything You Can Do,” and “They Say It’s Wonderful.”
Show Information
- Book
- Herbert Fields , Dorothy Fields
- Music
- Irving Berlin
- Lyrics
- Irving Berlin
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1946
- Genres
- Comedy, Romance, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- the 1800s, around the midwest and in new york city
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Large Cast, Middle School, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult, Mature Adult, Child, Early Teen Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Annie Get Your Gun is a fictionalized version of the life of sharpshooter Annie Oakley (who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West) and her romance with sharpshooter Frank E. Butler. Dorothy Fields came up with the idea for the musical as a star vehicle for her friend, Ethel Merman. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II also liked the idea and decided to produce the show. Fields and her brother Herbert initially worked with Jerome Kern, but he collapsed and died 3 days into the project.
to read the context for Annie Get Your Gun and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show has come to Cincinnati (“Colonel Buffalo Bill” - this was replaced by "There's No Business Like Show Business" in the 1999 production)! The show stars Frank Butler, a handsome and charming sharpshooter with a reputation for womanizing (“I’m a Bad, Bad Man” - this is cut from the 1999 production). In each new town, Frank challenges the best local shooter to a match. However, Foster Wilson doesn’t want the Wild West performers taking over the grounds of
to read the plot for Annie Get Your Gun and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
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|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
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|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Alto |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
|
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
|
Songs
1966 Production
Act One
- Overture — Orchestra
- Colonel Buffalo Bill — Charlie Davenport, Dolly Tate, and ensemble
- I'm a Bad, Bad Man — Frank Butler
- Doin' What Comes Natur'lly — Annie Oakley and her siblings
- The Girl That I Marry — Frank and Annie
- You Can't Get a Man with a Gun — Annie
- There's No Business Like Show Business — Frank, Buffalo Bill, Charlie, Annie, and ensemble
- They Say It's Wonderful — Annie and Frank
- Moonshine Lullaby — Annie and siblings
- There's No Business Like Show Business (Reprise) — Annie
- My Defenses Are Down — Frank and ensemble
- Wild Horse Ceremonial Dance — Wild Horse, Indian Braves and Maidens
- I'm an Indian, Too — Annie and ensemble
- Adoption Dance — Annie, Wild Horse and Braves
Act Two
- Entr'acte — Orchestra
- I Got Lost In His Arms — Annie
- I Got the Sun in the Morning — Annie and ensemble
- They Say It's Wonderful (Reprise) — Annie and Frank
- The Girl That I Marry (Reprise) — Frank
- Anything You Can Do — Annie and Frank
- There's No Business Like Show Business (Reprise) — Ensemble
1999 Production
Act One
- "There's No Business Like Show Business" - Frank, Dolly, Winnie and Company
- "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly" — Annie, Kids and Foster Wilson
- "The Girl That I Marry" — Frank and Annie
- "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun" — Annie
- "There's No Business Like Show Business" (Reprise) — Frank, Buffalo Bill, Charlie and Annie
- "I'll Share It All With You" — Tommy, Winnie and Company
- "Moonshine Lullaby" — Annie, Kids, Ensemble Trio
- "There's No Business Like Show Business" (Reprise) — Annie
- "They Say It's Wonderful" — Annie and Frank
- "My Defenses Are Down" — Frank and Young Men
- Finale: "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun (Reprise)" - Annie
Act Two
- Entr'acte: The European Tour — Annie and Company
- "I Got Lost In His Arms" — Annie
- "Who Do You Love, I Hope" — Tommy, Winnie and Company
- "I Got the Sun in the Morning" — Annie and Company
- "An Old-Fashioned Wedding" — Annie and Frank
- "The Girl That I Marry" (Reprise) — Frank
- "Anything You Can Do" — Annie and Frank
- "They Say It's Wonderful" (Reprise) — Annie, Frank and Company
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
References an era of book musicals written roughly between the 1940s and the 1960s.
A Broadway musical written and produced between 1943 and 1965.
A production designed especially to show off the talents of a particular performer.
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